Assassin’s Creed Shadows Review | TheXboxHub

Give the fans what they want! 

That has been the shout of many creatives and players over the years, with game developers listening intently. It even went as far as changing the ending of Mass Effect 3, all because fans wanted a different outcome. And for all the years of the Assassin’s Creed franchise, there has been a demand from fans to set the game in Feudal Japan; a seemingly perfect fit for the game series.

Now Ubisoft has done just that with Assassin’s Creed Shadows. The thing is, Ubisoft needs a bit of a win, after a troubling year of layoffs, turmoil, and underperforming sales on some of its biggest releases. Can the Assassins emerge from the Shadows to bring them that change of fortune?

Assassin’s Creed has had its longest break between games recently. Shadows was meant to be released back in 2024, but Ubisoft wanted to ensure everything was perfect for launch, delaying it until now; early 2025. It’s also the next big game in the franchise and I can safely say – having been an AC fan since the beginning – it does feel very familiar. But that’s not to say there aren’t enough surprises to keep us happy. It’s helped by the fact it does a great job of balancing stealth, combat and the new protagonists on offer.

Shinobi and Samurai

The setting for Assassin’s Creed Shadows begins with an introduction in the modern age, reminding us that Assassin’s Creed still has a connection to the future world with its conspiracy theories and overarching narrative. Then you are placed in Feudal Japan in the 16th century, in the final stages of the Sengoku period. It starts with the real famous figurehead of Oda Nobunaga and an assault on the region of Iga Province.  

You play as two new heroes. You start the main bit of the game with Naoe, a shinobi assassin who, after a great tragedy in the initial assault, loses everything, nearly her life. As she recovers, she then seeks out a journey of revenge on several figures who ruined her life. She embarks on this journey with a mixture of stealth, intrigue, and skill. I played as her for around ten hours or so, until finally meeting – and teaming up – with Yasuke.  

Yasuke is a bodyguard who came to Japan under the ownership of some Portuguese monks until he stayed. He is a fearsome Samurai, and together they both go on a mission and story to rid Japan of a fearsome cult of enemies. Stories in the world of Assassin’s Creed are a tricky one to grasp sometimes, with Ubisoft looking to tell such a big historical saga, weaving in a modern tale to boot. That’s not helped by the open-world vibes, and it’s easy to find yourself mucking around for hours and then forgetting what the main thrust of the story is and what you were meant to be doing.

The tale in Shadows feels much more focused, with two amazing characters to get your teeth into, as you see how their journeys progress. All side characters and missions feel full of depth and lore, as do the NPCs you meet along the way.

And, as is right for this franchise, there is an amazing amount of real history you can unlock in the codex throughout the game, which gives knowledge about the real areas you are exploring.

Stealth and Steel

In terms of gameplay, it’s probably best to speak of the combat first of all. Each of the characters has a distinct way of playing, and the way they join up ensures you can switch between the two.

Yasuke is a tank of a character, with devastating head-lopping moves and attacks. You can use Katanas, bows, or guns if you want to, or switch between the many different weapons as you loot them. There are counterattacks, dodges, and special moves to take in too, like a brilliant boot from the big man. And then there is a skill tree to explore as you level up, and special weapons to find and exploit.  

With Naoe, it is all a bit more stealthy, especially in the attacks and assassinations from above and in the shadows. Putting out candles to create darkness is a key feature, as are the acrobatic assassinations from above. Her attacks are lighter than those of Yasuke, but the movesets are more fluid and fast. Special attacks can break down the pose of an opponent for attacks, and then using the environments and knocking enemies against things or over walls adds to the many different options available.

Honestly, I loved the combat in Assassin’s Creed Shadows, appreciating the different playstyle options of the two heroes. Boss battles are fun too, playing like chess matches that are exciting, enchanting and quite tricky at times.

Assassin’s Creed Shadows’ Open-World and Side Content

Of course, this is an open-world game – and that means it comes with a host of activities to partake in. Each region has a level attached to it that gives you an idea of whether you are powerful enough level-wise to engage in fights there. But you can go anywhere you like if you want. Exploration is great fun and the world of Shadows is a wonderful place to explore. Clues will be given to certain quest locations and it’s up to you to try and hunt down the right place or employ scouts to find out more information for you to pinpoint locations.

There are the usual high points to climb up and synchronise too, as in all Assassin’s Creed games, and small touches are nice; stuff like auto-syncing with climbed locations. When Yasuke ends up doing the eagle jump he screams in fear, doing his back in after he lands. That’s a lovely touch of humour.

There are some amazing places to visit in Shadows, including shrines which require you to find places to pray and uncover lost scrolls. There are shops that provide items, and places to meditate which involve taking in an engaging meditation mini-game. From there, tombs need to be raided, working very much like puzzle-solving brain teasers, whilst Paths of Valor are parkour-styled challenges and there are whole castles and forts to conquer.

There is so much to do and so much to see in Assassin’s Creed Shadows, that it pretty much covers everything you could want from an open-world game. Hell, you can also pet cats and dogs; something which will make a lot of people very happy.

Visual Spectacle and Sound Design

Visually, this is a stunning game, with some of the most beautiful vistas you will see playing out on your Xbox Series X. Seasons and weather are the stars of the show here, with some of the best rain and wind effects I have ever seen in a game. It’s one of those events that will have you taking quite a lot of screenshots because the lighting effects can be incredible at times. The character animations found in the main protagonists and NPCs haven’t always been the strongest, but it feels like there has been a bit of a step up in Shadows.

Further to all that, the soundtrack does an amazing job, what with its epic Eastern-inspired feel; brilliantly emotive and an exciting addition to the library of soundtracks from this series. It also does a wonderful job of introducing modern rock tracks to some of the boss battles and sequences that, perhaps shouldn’t work on paper, but do so brilliantly in situ. Effects are fantastic and the voice work does a great job, especially with an option of turning on an ‘authentic’ mode where you can have Japanese and Portuguese-speaking characters with English subs if you want.

A Winning Formula for Assassin’s Creed Fans

If you’re a fan of Assassin’s Creed, hooked from the very first game, you’ll find a lot of love for Assassin’s Creed Shadows. It feels very familiar, but still manages to do a great job of adding extra relish in terms of combat, visuals, and storytelling. There’s no doubt that the double protagonist pivot, with different playstyles, is a winning formula.

This one has more than enough to break Ubisoft’s recent run of bad luck.

Important Links

Buy Assassin’s Creed Shadows on Xbox – https://www.xbox.com/en-GB/games/store/assassins-creed-shadows/9NRRMKB49KQP/0017

Go Deluxe if you like – https://www.xbox.com/en-GB/games/store/assassins-creed-shadows-digital-deluxe-edition/9NK3226M5PWK/0017